https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/34385 https://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/C3/7B/293827.buddy.jpg https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/34385 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:39:04 +0000 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:39:04 +0000 https://www.ipernity.com https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49440018 tag:ipernity.com,2019-06-19,doc-49440018 Wed, 19 Jun 2019 15:15:07 +0000 2019-06-18T19:52:55-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49440018"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/00/18/49440018.cd9ac0c3.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Once again, I am up-to-date with my local photos, after going on a two-hour birding walk in Fish Creek Park yesterday evening, 18 June 2019. Maybe I can make a start on Day 9 of our South Texas birding trip back in March 2019. A total of 36 bird species were seen, though I missed many of these birds. A couple of Red-winged Blackbirds kept giving chase and harassing this pair of Osprey.<br /> <br /> The forecast was for rain, so I wasn't sure if we were going to get caught in a downpour. Instead, we enjoyed sunshine and a pleasant temperature. This morning, 19 June, it is only 10C (windchill 7C) and overcast, with an expected high of 12C. Wish we could send our rain further north, where there are various wildfires burning. As of right now, there are 6 fires out of control, 7 being held, and 9 under control.</div> Osprey pair harassed by Red-winged Blackbird <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49440018"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/00/18/49440018.cd9ac0c3.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Once again, I am up-to-date with my local photos, after going on a two-hour birding walk in Fish Creek Park yesterday evening, 18 June 2019. Maybe I can make a start on Day 9 of our South Texas birding trip back in March 2019. A total of 36 bird species were seen, though I missed many of these birds. A couple of Red-winged Blackbirds kept giving chase and harassing this pair of Osprey.<br /> <br /> The forecast was for rain, so I wasn't sure if we were going to get caught in a downpour. Instead, we enjoyed sunshine and a pleasant temperature. This morning, 19 June, it is only 10C (windchill 7C) and overcast, with an expected high of 12C. Wish we could send our rain further north, where there are various wildfires burning. As of right now, there are 6 fires out of control, 7 being held, and 9 under control.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47196852 tag:ipernity.com,2018-08-24,doc-47196852 Fri, 24 Aug 2018 15:52:28 +0000 2018-06-12T15:42:49-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47196852"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/68/52/47196852.642aa12e.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken in the spring, and I have waited to post it until the youngsters had grown and disappeared, to avoid photographers invading their space and causing stress. Aren't those little ones cute? Zoomed in from car, stopped on the road.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://naturecanada.ca/what-we-do/naturevoice/endangered-species/know-our-species/ferruginous-hawk/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">naturecanada.ca/what-we-do/naturevoice/endangered-species...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://naturecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FEHAANPBrochure.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">naturecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FEHAANPBrochur...</a><br /> <br /> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> It is 10:30 am on 24 August 2018, and the sky is smoke filled and dark as can be. An Air Quality alert continues. Rain is expected to arrive shortly (and, yes, here comes the rain!), which will be most welcome. Our temperature is only 11C! I was shocked to see the following warning yesterday, knowing the absolute devastation that our beautiful Waterton Lakes National Park suffered in the summer of 2017.<br /> <br /> "PARKS CANADA HAS ISSUED AN EVACUATION ALERT FOR ALL AREAS IN WATERTON NATIONAL PARK DUE TO WILDFIRE:<br /> Thursday August 23, 2018 - 10:45pm<br /> <br /> Parks Canada has issued an Evacuation Alert for all areas in Waterton Lakes National Park.<br /> <br /> A wildfire that started south of Waterton in the Boundary Creek valley is currently burning out of control. Because of the potential danger to life and health, Parks Canada has issued an Evacuation Alert for all of Waterton Lakes National Park.<br /> <br /> An Evacuation Alert has been issued to prepare you to evacuate your premises or property should it be found necessary. Visitors and residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.<br /> <br /> The wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park approximately 5 km south of the townsite. It is located in the Boundary Creek Valley and approaching Upper Waterton Lake. Parks Canada staff are monitoring the fire.<br /> <br /> People in Waterton Park should be prepared to evacuate on short notice."<br /> <br /> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> As you can tell by the photos I posted this morning, I got out of the forest and into the dry prairies. Three days ago, on 21 August 2018, it turned out to be such a great day, with some much-appreciated sightings. I must have spent about 8 or 9 hours driving and almost every inch of my body aches like crazy. Now, each summer, I try and do two or three longer (for me) drives, making sure I don't lose confidence to get there.<br /> <br /> Weather-wise, it was around 24C, so not too hot. Yes, it was still smokey from the British Columbia wildfires, making distant hills barely visible and deleting mountains from view, but it didn't have too much effect on closer photography. <br /> <br /> It was a good day for Hawks, seeing three on the way south and a few on the way home. I almost missed two hawks, as the hay bale they were standing on was way out in a large field. At first, I thought there were three hawks together, but when I stopped to take a few photos, I realized that there were only two - one looked almost like two hawks close together, but then I saw that it had its wings mantled. I guess it wanted to make sure that the second hawk behind it couldn't steal any of the food from it. <br /> <br /> A Horned Lark, a Western Meadowlark juvenile, and a Vesper Sparrow gave me the chance for a photo or two, and a lone hawk I spotted way in the distance was a Ferruginous Hawk. A happy sighting, as these hawks are so few and far between.</div> Ferruginous Hawks - now safely grown and gone <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47196852"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/68/52/47196852.642aa12e.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken in the spring, and I have waited to post it until the youngsters had grown and disappeared, to avoid photographers invading their space and causing stress. Aren't those little ones cute? Zoomed in from car, stopped on the road.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://naturecanada.ca/what-we-do/naturevoice/endangered-species/know-our-species/ferruginous-hawk/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">naturecanada.ca/what-we-do/naturevoice/endangered-species...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://naturecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FEHAANPBrochure.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">naturecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FEHAANPBrochur...</a><br /> <br /> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> It is 10:30 am on 24 August 2018, and the sky is smoke filled and dark as can be. An Air Quality alert continues. Rain is expected to arrive shortly (and, yes, here comes the rain!), which will be most welcome. Our temperature is only 11C! I was shocked to see the following warning yesterday, knowing the absolute devastation that our beautiful Waterton Lakes National Park suffered in the summer of 2017.<br /> <br /> "PARKS CANADA HAS ISSUED AN EVACUATION ALERT FOR ALL AREAS IN WATERTON NATIONAL PARK DUE TO WILDFIRE:<br /> Thursday August 23, 2018 - 10:45pm<br /> <br /> Parks Canada has issued an Evacuation Alert for all areas in Waterton Lakes National Park.<br /> <br /> A wildfire that started south of Waterton in the Boundary Creek valley is currently burning out of control. Because of the potential danger to life and health, Parks Canada has issued an Evacuation Alert for all of Waterton Lakes National Park.<br /> <br /> An Evacuation Alert has been issued to prepare you to evacuate your premises or property should it be found necessary. Visitors and residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.<br /> <br /> The wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park approximately 5 km south of the townsite. It is located in the Boundary Creek Valley and approaching Upper Waterton Lake. Parks Canada staff are monitoring the fire.<br /> <br /> People in Waterton Park should be prepared to evacuate on short notice."<br /> <br /> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> As you can tell by the photos I posted this morning, I got out of the forest and into the dry prairies. Three days ago, on 21 August 2018, it turned out to be such a great day, with some much-appreciated sightings. I must have spent about 8 or 9 hours driving and almost every inch of my body aches like crazy. Now, each summer, I try and do two or three longer (for me) drives, making sure I don't lose confidence to get there.<br /> <br /> Weather-wise, it was around 24C, so not too hot. Yes, it was still smokey from the British Columbia wildfires, making distant hills barely visible and deleting mountains from view, but it didn't have too much effect on closer photography. <br /> <br /> It was a good day for Hawks, seeing three on the way south and a few on the way home. I almost missed two hawks, as the hay bale they were standing on was way out in a large field. At first, I thought there were three hawks together, but when I stopped to take a few photos, I realized that there were only two - one looked almost like two hawks close together, but then I saw that it had its wings mantled. I guess it wanted to make sure that the second hawk behind it couldn't steal any of the food from it. <br /> <br /> A Horned Lark, a Western Meadowlark juvenile, and a Vesper Sparrow gave me the chance for a photo or two, and a lone hawk I spotted way in the distance was a Ferruginous Hawk. A happy sighting, as these hawks are so few and far between.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46769274 tag:ipernity.com,2018-05-28,doc-46769274 Mon, 28 May 2018 15:12:38 +0000 2018-05-27T08:04:50-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46769274"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/92/74/46769274.d6ac592f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">ALBERTA EMERGENCY ALERT, 27 May 2018:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/emergency-alert-issued-due-to-wildfire-in-kananaskis" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/emergency-alert-issued-...</a><br /> <br /> "An emergency alert has been issued for the Municipal District of Foothills due to a large wildfire in Kananaskis Country.<br /> <br /> The alert issued by the district indicates the blaze is about 16 kilometres southwest of Bragg Creek “and is moving in a northeasterly direction toward the extreme northwest corner of the MD of Foothills.”<br /> <br /> Voluntary evacuation is in effect for areas west of Highway 762, between Highway 22 and 178th Avenue W.<br /> <br /> Alberta Wildfire information officer Matt Bell said the wildfire is listed at 100 hectares and is considered out of control."<br /> <br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> Yesterday, Sunday 27 May 2018, was the second day of the annual May Species Count. On the Saturday, I had taken part in the Count at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park. We took three cars yesterday, but one car had to leave early. The Count started at 8:00 am and, when we arrived at the starting point and briefly got out of our cars, someone spotted this Killdeer nest right by the cars - I stood in the road and zoomed in. The adults were very near by, but we did not see them do the broken-wing action. Instead, they just kept walking down the road, no doubt hoping that we would be distracted. Later in the day, we had a great view of a different Killdeer performing the fancy broken-wing activity. This year, we finished our Count around 2:00 pm, which was earlier than usual. The number of species was quite a bit lower than the last two years. Usually, we see a great variety of birds at one of our stops (Barb Castell's), but things were very quiet yesterday. As Barb reminded us, there are more birds earlier in the day, and late afternoon to early evening. Thanks, as always, Barb, for letting us wander round your beautiful garden! <br /> <br /> We were very lucky with the weather for our Count. I think the temperature got up to about 22C, cooler than the last few days - today is forecast to have a high of 28C. After driving various back roads, we ended up at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, where we stopped to eat our lunch. The parking lot was absolutely packed. A short walk within the forest produced two or three past-their-prime Calypso Orchids. Each year, we do this walk to look for these gorgeous flowers, though Brown-Lowery is actually covered by a different group of people for the Count. Not a single owl of any kind was seen by our group yesterday, unlike last year, when we had a beautiful Great Gray Owl.</div> Killdeer nest <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46769274"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/92/74/46769274.d6ac592f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">ALBERTA EMERGENCY ALERT, 27 May 2018:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/emergency-alert-issued-due-to-wildfire-in-kananaskis" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/emergency-alert-issued-...</a><br /> <br /> "An emergency alert has been issued for the Municipal District of Foothills due to a large wildfire in Kananaskis Country.<br /> <br /> The alert issued by the district indicates the blaze is about 16 kilometres southwest of Bragg Creek “and is moving in a northeasterly direction toward the extreme northwest corner of the MD of Foothills.”<br /> <br /> Voluntary evacuation is in effect for areas west of Highway 762, between Highway 22 and 178th Avenue W.<br /> <br /> Alberta Wildfire information officer Matt Bell said the wildfire is listed at 100 hectares and is considered out of control."<br /> <br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> Yesterday, Sunday 27 May 2018, was the second day of the annual May Species Count. On the Saturday, I had taken part in the Count at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park. We took three cars yesterday, but one car had to leave early. The Count started at 8:00 am and, when we arrived at the starting point and briefly got out of our cars, someone spotted this Killdeer nest right by the cars - I stood in the road and zoomed in. The adults were very near by, but we did not see them do the broken-wing action. Instead, they just kept walking down the road, no doubt hoping that we would be distracted. Later in the day, we had a great view of a different Killdeer performing the fancy broken-wing activity. This year, we finished our Count around 2:00 pm, which was earlier than usual. The number of species was quite a bit lower than the last two years. Usually, we see a great variety of birds at one of our stops (Barb Castell's), but things were very quiet yesterday. As Barb reminded us, there are more birds earlier in the day, and late afternoon to early evening. Thanks, as always, Barb, for letting us wander round your beautiful garden! <br /> <br /> We were very lucky with the weather for our Count. I think the temperature got up to about 22C, cooler than the last few days - today is forecast to have a high of 28C. After driving various back roads, we ended up at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, where we stopped to eat our lunch. The parking lot was absolutely packed. A short walk within the forest produced two or three past-their-prime Calypso Orchids. Each year, we do this walk to look for these gorgeous flowers, though Brown-Lowery is actually covered by a different group of people for the Count. Not a single owl of any kind was seen by our group yesterday, unlike last year, when we had a beautiful Great Gray Owl.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/45001980 tag:ipernity.com,2017-06-19,doc-45001980 Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:53:11 +0000 2017-06-17T11:19:00-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/45001980"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/19/80/45001980.7dd7ea97.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Friends and I were lucky enough to see two Killdeer nests two days ago, on 17 June 2017, when five of us went east of the city for the day, to visit our friend, Shirley, at her seasonal trailer. One nest only had one egg in it so far, and the other had four eggs. It is amazing where Killdeer nest - right out in the open where people walk or cars drive. I don't know how any of the eggs survive.<br /> <br /> "A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. These tawny birds run across the ground in spurts, stopping with a jolt every so often to check their progress, or to see if they’ve startled up any insect prey. Their voice, a far-carrying, excited kill-deer, is a common sound even after dark, often given in flight as the bird circles overhead on slender wings.<br /> <br /> The male and female of a mated pair pick out a nesting site through a ritual known as a scrape ceremony. The male lowers his breast to the ground and scrapes a shallow depression with his feet. The female then approaches, head lowered, and takes his place. The male then stands with body tilted slightly forward, tail raised and spread, calling rapidly. Mating often follows.<br /> <br /> Killdeer lay their eggs into an empty nest but add other materials later on. Some of these items they pick up as they are leaving and toss over their shoulder into the nest. In one nest in Oklahoma, people found more than 1,500 pebbles had accumulated this way." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/id</a><br /> <br /> Most of our birding was done at and near Shirley's trailer site, including seeing this wonderful owl family, two Killdeer and their nests, a Baltimore Oriole, and (finally!) a pair of Brown Thrashers. I had hoped for several years to see one of these birds, so it was a real treat to see a 'lifer'. It was far away and so high up, but I managed to get a couple of shots just for the record. <br /> <br /> As we were walking around the grounds, two ladies stopped us and showed us some baby birds that they had had to remove from the engine of their vehicle. They wondered if we knew what kind of birds they were, but we were unable to help. I posted a photo of them yesterday morning, just in case someone can ID them. The ladies had a bird house that they were going to put the babies into, hoping that the parents would hear them calling and be able to continue feeding them.<br /> <br /> Thank you so much, Shirley, for inviting us all out to visit you while you were there for the weekend! It was such a pleasure to see some of "your" birds that you enjoy so much. Such a great variety of species! Wow, what a lunch we had, sitting at a table under the Tree Swallow tree, with a very vocal American Robin just a few feet away. How DO some birds manage to sing non-stop?! Hot chili made by Shirley, and a whole array of delicious salads and desserts left me feeling full till the early evening.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Anne B, for picking up three of us and for driving us east across the prairies. Hugely appreciated!</div> Killdeer &#039;nest&#039; and eggs - a telemacro shot <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/45001980"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/19/80/45001980.7dd7ea97.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Friends and I were lucky enough to see two Killdeer nests two days ago, on 17 June 2017, when five of us went east of the city for the day, to visit our friend, Shirley, at her seasonal trailer. One nest only had one egg in it so far, and the other had four eggs. It is amazing where Killdeer nest - right out in the open where people walk or cars drive. I don't know how any of the eggs survive.<br /> <br /> "A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. These tawny birds run across the ground in spurts, stopping with a jolt every so often to check their progress, or to see if they’ve startled up any insect prey. Their voice, a far-carrying, excited kill-deer, is a common sound even after dark, often given in flight as the bird circles overhead on slender wings.<br /> <br /> The male and female of a mated pair pick out a nesting site through a ritual known as a scrape ceremony. The male lowers his breast to the ground and scrapes a shallow depression with his feet. The female then approaches, head lowered, and takes his place. The male then stands with body tilted slightly forward, tail raised and spread, calling rapidly. Mating often follows.<br /> <br /> Killdeer lay their eggs into an empty nest but add other materials later on. Some of these items they pick up as they are leaving and toss over their shoulder into the nest. In one nest in Oklahoma, people found more than 1,500 pebbles had accumulated this way." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/id</a><br /> <br /> Most of our birding was done at and near Shirley's trailer site, including seeing this wonderful owl family, two Killdeer and their nests, a Baltimore Oriole, and (finally!) a pair of Brown Thrashers. I had hoped for several years to see one of these birds, so it was a real treat to see a 'lifer'. It was far away and so high up, but I managed to get a couple of shots just for the record. <br /> <br /> As we were walking around the grounds, two ladies stopped us and showed us some baby birds that they had had to remove from the engine of their vehicle. They wondered if we knew what kind of birds they were, but we were unable to help. I posted a photo of them yesterday morning, just in case someone can ID them. The ladies had a bird house that they were going to put the babies into, hoping that the parents would hear them calling and be able to continue feeding them.<br /> <br /> Thank you so much, Shirley, for inviting us all out to visit you while you were there for the weekend! It was such a pleasure to see some of "your" birds that you enjoy so much. Such a great variety of species! Wow, what a lunch we had, sitting at a table under the Tree Swallow tree, with a very vocal American Robin just a few feet away. How DO some birds manage to sing non-stop?! Hot chili made by Shirley, and a whole array of delicious salads and desserts left me feeling full till the early evening.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Anne B, for picking up three of us and for driving us east across the prairies. Hugely appreciated!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42698088 tag:ipernity.com,2016-08-04,doc-42698088 Thu, 04 Aug 2016 17:06:52 +0000 2016-08-01T17:54:28-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42698088"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/80/88/42698088.bb736618.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Monday, 1 August 2016, was mostly a quiet day at home - it was a long weekend and I didn't really want to be doing a longish drive with a lot of traffic on the roads. Late in the afternoon, I did get out to see a pair of Swainson's Hawks and also drove to a local Osprey family, that I think has three youngsters still on the nest. There wasn't much activity going on during the short time I was there, but I did catch this one with wings flapping. Not the best composition, but I was just turning away from the nest when I caught sight of wings out of the corner of my eye. Almost missed getting a shot.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> Seeing the Swainson's Hawks was quite an experience - I was dive-bombed three times in the two minutes maximum that I was there! A friend had told me about this family, but he didn't have the same experience as I had! I don't know how many young ones there are - and I don't intend going back to find out : ) There is nothing like seeing a large hawk flying fast straight for you at head level! <br /> <br /> I was without my vehicle the last day and a half, while it was being looked at because it suddenly developed a really bad, noisy muffler problem. It was going to be a major expense (almost $5,000) to repair/replace the various parts and I have just heard back that one part is no longer available. To find one would mean being without my car for two weeks! So, late yesterday, I collected the car and will just drive within the few roads by me (mainly for groceries) with an extremely noisy vehicle. I know I finally have to buy a new car and as soon as possible - something that I have been thinking about the last few years, as the car is now over 17 years old. Not something I wanted to do on the spur of the moment like this, though. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my plans to take my daughter to the mountains today. For years and years I have longed to drive there myself and finally plucked up courage to go with my daughter today to help me navigate. Just as well we didn't go, as my vehicle may have been fine until we were out in the mountains, and then have the muffler 'die', and then there would have been a real problem. So, today, I must empty everything out of the car and go and clean it out the best I can, and then get back to some more research. I won't get much if anything for a trade-in, but that is most likely what I will do.</div> Osprey family in the city <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/42698088"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/80/88/42698088.bb736618.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Monday, 1 August 2016, was mostly a quiet day at home - it was a long weekend and I didn't really want to be doing a longish drive with a lot of traffic on the roads. Late in the afternoon, I did get out to see a pair of Swainson's Hawks and also drove to a local Osprey family, that I think has three youngsters still on the nest. There wasn't much activity going on during the short time I was there, but I did catch this one with wings flapping. Not the best composition, but I was just turning away from the nest when I caught sight of wings out of the corner of my eye. Almost missed getting a shot.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> Seeing the Swainson's Hawks was quite an experience - I was dive-bombed three times in the two minutes maximum that I was there! A friend had told me about this family, but he didn't have the same experience as I had! I don't know how many young ones there are - and I don't intend going back to find out : ) There is nothing like seeing a large hawk flying fast straight for you at head level! <br /> <br /> I was without my vehicle the last day and a half, while it was being looked at because it suddenly developed a really bad, noisy muffler problem. It was going to be a major expense (almost $5,000) to repair/replace the various parts and I have just heard back that one part is no longer available. To find one would mean being without my car for two weeks! So, late yesterday, I collected the car and will just drive within the few roads by me (mainly for groceries) with an extremely noisy vehicle. I know I finally have to buy a new car and as soon as possible - something that I have been thinking about the last few years, as the car is now over 17 years old. Not something I wanted to do on the spur of the moment like this, though. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my plans to take my daughter to the mountains today. For years and years I have longed to drive there myself and finally plucked up courage to go with my daughter today to help me navigate. Just as well we didn't go, as my vehicle may have been fine until we were out in the mountains, and then have the muffler 'die', and then there would have been a real problem. So, today, I must empty everything out of the car and go and clean it out the best I can, and then get back to some more research. I won't get much if anything for a trade-in, but that is most likely what I will do.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39553820 tag:ipernity.com,2015-09-04,doc-39553820 Fri, 04 Sep 2015 17:30:26 +0000 2015-08-10T16:37:04-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39553820"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/38/20/39553820.ebed5aee.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Brrr ....! I turned on my heating this afternoon (4 September 2015), when the temperature outside was 6C (feeling like 2C apparently). Yesterday, I took my winter jacket to have a long tear on one sleeve repaired, so I guess the weather thought it would be funny to give us temperatures that are more like winter for a few days : ) It's such a gloomy, overcast day, with four more like it in the forecast. Then back to much nicer weather, thank goodness.<br /> <br /> On 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. The light was harsh and it was a really hot day. <br /> <br /> This photo is fully zoomed (48x, and according to the EXIF data, the Focal Length (35mm format) is 1200 mm), I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. <br /> <br /> When I arrived, one of the adults had been perched on the end of the wooden bar on the right. When it flew off in search of food, a third young one that had been near the adult, very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot (just off my photo to the left). <br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Young Osprey testing its wings <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39553820"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/38/20/39553820.ebed5aee.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Brrr ....! I turned on my heating this afternoon (4 September 2015), when the temperature outside was 6C (feeling like 2C apparently). Yesterday, I took my winter jacket to have a long tear on one sleeve repaired, so I guess the weather thought it would be funny to give us temperatures that are more like winter for a few days : ) It's such a gloomy, overcast day, with four more like it in the forecast. Then back to much nicer weather, thank goodness.<br /> <br /> On 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. The light was harsh and it was a really hot day. <br /> <br /> This photo is fully zoomed (48x, and according to the EXIF data, the Focal Length (35mm format) is 1200 mm), I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. <br /> <br /> When I arrived, one of the adults had been perched on the end of the wooden bar on the right. When it flew off in search of food, a third young one that had been near the adult, very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot (just off my photo to the left). <br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39364944 tag:ipernity.com,2015-08-20,doc-39364944 Thu, 20 Aug 2015 15:10:42 +0000 2015-08-10T16:37:20-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39364944"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/49/44/39364944.699e1e5f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Ten days ago, on 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. The light was harsh and it was a really hot day. I did lighten this image, but I think that maybe it could have done with a bit more brightening.<br /> <br /> I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. <br /> <br /> When I arrived, one of the adults had been perched on the end of the wooden bar on the right. When it flew off in search of food, a third young one that had been near the adult, very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot (off my photo). I also got this shot of one of the other youngsters when, with a powerful flap of its wings, it became airborne for a few seconds. <br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Look what I can do! <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39364944"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/49/44/39364944.699e1e5f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Ten days ago, on 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. The light was harsh and it was a really hot day. I did lighten this image, but I think that maybe it could have done with a bit more brightening.<br /> <br /> I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. <br /> <br /> When I arrived, one of the adults had been perched on the end of the wooden bar on the right. When it flew off in search of food, a third young one that had been near the adult, very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot (off my photo). I also got this shot of one of the other youngsters when, with a powerful flap of its wings, it became airborne for a few seconds. <br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39340476 tag:ipernity.com,2015-08-17,doc-39340476 Mon, 17 Aug 2015 15:25:16 +0000 2015-08-10T16:40:28-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39340476"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/04/76/39340476.06e4313c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">A week ago, on 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. <br /> <br /> This photo is fully zoomed (48x, and according to the EXIF data, the Focal Length (35mm format) is 1200 mm), as I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. <br /> <br /> One of the adults had been perched on the end of this wooden bar. When it flew off in search of food, this young one that had been near the adult, very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot. I also got a shot of one of the other nestlings when, with a powerful flap of its wings, it became airborne for a few seconds. <br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Wing-flapping practice <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39340476"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/04/76/39340476.06e4313c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">A week ago, on 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. <br /> <br /> This photo is fully zoomed (48x, and according to the EXIF data, the Focal Length (35mm format) is 1200 mm), as I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. <br /> <br /> One of the adults had been perched on the end of this wooden bar. When it flew off in search of food, this young one that had been near the adult, very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot. I also got a shot of one of the other nestlings when, with a powerful flap of its wings, it became airborne for a few seconds. <br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39292384 tag:ipernity.com,2015-08-11,doc-39292384 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:39:20 +0000 2015-08-10T16:15:31-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39292384"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/23/84/39292384.fd4fb217.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday afternoon, 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. <br /> <br /> This photo is fully zoomed (48x, and according to the EXIF data, the Focal Length (35mm format) is 1200 mm), as I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. The bird on the far right did fly from the nest and the young one perched nearest very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot. I also got a shot of one of the other nestlings when, with a powerful flap of its wings, it became airborne for a few seconds. Only when I got home and downloaded my photos could I see the white markings on the young ones' feathers.<br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Osprey family <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39292384"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/23/84/39292384.fd4fb217.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday afternoon, 10 August 2015, I drove to where one of the Osprey families in the city had their nest, built on a high, wooden platform. Luckily, I got there when the family was reasonably active - by the time I left, the three youngsters had settled down into the nest and disappeared from sight. <br /> <br /> This photo is fully zoomed (48x, and according to the EXIF data, the Focal Length (35mm format) is 1200 mm), as I always stay far away so as not to stress any of the birds - also, those talons look really big and really sharp, and I still remember reading a number of years ago that Ospreys will attack anything or anyone that gets near their nest. The bird on the far right did fly from the nest and the young one perched nearest very gingerly made its way the few inches to where the adult had been standing, turned around and, after some wing stretches and flapping, very carefully returned to its original spot. I also got a shot of one of the other nestlings when, with a powerful flap of its wings, it became airborne for a few seconds. Only when I got home and downloaded my photos could I see the white markings on the young ones' feathers.<br /> <br /> Some of the time, I could see one or both of the adults flying around, very high up. They returned to the nest with food a couple of times, but I was too slow to catch these moments properly.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39084194 tag:ipernity.com,2015-07-15,doc-39084194 Wed, 15 Jul 2015 15:10:32 +0000 2015-07-11T16:06:20-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39084194"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/41/94/39084194.a6460130.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Four days ago, on 11 July 2015, I had a wonderful day out with friend Sandy, driving westwards from Calgary and eventually reaching the next province, British Columbia (B.C.). Sandy had two destinations in mind - a stop at the Spiral Tunnels and then to explore the forest around Emerald Lake. I had only been to B.C. a handful of times in 37 years, so this was an absolute treat. <br /> <br /> Our trip started just after 7:00 am, to get a good, early start, especially before the temperature soared. The drive from Calgary to Emerald Lake takes about 2 and a half hours and is a 218.5 km drive via Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W. We took a quieter route home at the end of the day. Rain arrived just in time for this drive home and, by the time I got back to my car in Calgary, the rain was really heavy and a few of the roads were beginning to flood very quickly. It was raining again the next morning. I was kind of hoping for a few rainy days, as I suddenly have a build-up of quite a few major, very urgent things to deal with and I didn't want to be tempted to go out with my camera. <br /> <br /> Shortly after we began our walk though the forest along the right hand side of the lake, we heard a commotion coming from the water. When we found a place to see through the trees, we could see two beautiful Common Loons and a female duck with several babies, possibly Common Mergansers. My guess would be that the Merganser mother kept chasing away the Loons, creating a lot of splashing. <br /> <br /> Also, at the beginning and the end of our "hike", we watched a family of Violet-green Swallows that were nesting. Not sure how many young ones there were, but I saw two little heads most of the time and then, suddenly, a third appeared. They lay 4-6 (rarely, 7) eggs. Though we do get these birds in Calgary, I've never really seen one - just when a mass of Tree Swallows swarms over the Bow River and someone calls out "There's a Violet-green!" The adults flew to feed their babies at top speed and barely stayed a second at the nest hole. I was just thrilled to see these birds - thanks, Sandy, for your patience, allowing me to try and get a few photos! Thanks, too, for such a great day, as usual!<br /> <br /> "A beautiful swallow of open woodlands, the Violet-green Swallow is found only in the American West." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id</a></div> And then there were three <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39084194"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/41/94/39084194.a6460130.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Four days ago, on 11 July 2015, I had a wonderful day out with friend Sandy, driving westwards from Calgary and eventually reaching the next province, British Columbia (B.C.). Sandy had two destinations in mind - a stop at the Spiral Tunnels and then to explore the forest around Emerald Lake. I had only been to B.C. a handful of times in 37 years, so this was an absolute treat. <br /> <br /> Our trip started just after 7:00 am, to get a good, early start, especially before the temperature soared. The drive from Calgary to Emerald Lake takes about 2 and a half hours and is a 218.5 km drive via Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W. We took a quieter route home at the end of the day. Rain arrived just in time for this drive home and, by the time I got back to my car in Calgary, the rain was really heavy and a few of the roads were beginning to flood very quickly. It was raining again the next morning. I was kind of hoping for a few rainy days, as I suddenly have a build-up of quite a few major, very urgent things to deal with and I didn't want to be tempted to go out with my camera. <br /> <br /> Shortly after we began our walk though the forest along the right hand side of the lake, we heard a commotion coming from the water. When we found a place to see through the trees, we could see two beautiful Common Loons and a female duck with several babies, possibly Common Mergansers. My guess would be that the Merganser mother kept chasing away the Loons, creating a lot of splashing. <br /> <br /> Also, at the beginning and the end of our "hike", we watched a family of Violet-green Swallows that were nesting. Not sure how many young ones there were, but I saw two little heads most of the time and then, suddenly, a third appeared. They lay 4-6 (rarely, 7) eggs. Though we do get these birds in Calgary, I've never really seen one - just when a mass of Tree Swallows swarms over the Bow River and someone calls out "There's a Violet-green!" The adults flew to feed their babies at top speed and barely stayed a second at the nest hole. I was just thrilled to see these birds - thanks, Sandy, for your patience, allowing me to try and get a few photos! Thanks, too, for such a great day, as usual!<br /> <br /> "A beautiful swallow of open woodlands, the Violet-green Swallow is found only in the American West." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39078584 tag:ipernity.com,2015-07-12,doc-39078584 Sun, 12 Jul 2015 16:18:27 +0000 2015-07-11T16:08:43-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39078584"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/84/39078584.81ec4608.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 11 July 2015, I had a wonderful day out with friend Sandy, driving westwards from Calgary and eventually reaching the next province, British Columbia (B.C.). Sandy had two destinations in mind - a stop at the Spiral Tunnels and then to explore the forest around Emerald Lake. I had only been to B.C. a handful of times in 37 years, so this was an absolute treat. <br /> <br /> Our trip started just after 7:00 am, to get a good, early start, especially before the temperature soared. The drive from Calgary to Emerald Lake takes about 2 and a half hours and is a 218.5 km drive via Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W. We took a quieter route home at the end of the day. Rain arrived just in time for this drive home and, by the time I got back to my car in Calgary, the rain was really heavy and a few of the roads were beginning to flood very quickly. It was raining again this morning. I was kind of hoping for a few rainy days, as I suddenly have a build-up of quite a few major, very urgent things to deal with and I didn't want to be tempted to go out with my camera. <br /> <br /> Shortly after we began our walk though the forest along the right hand side of the lake, we heard a commotion coming from the water. When we found a place to see through the trees, we could see two beautiful Common Loons and a female duck with several babies, possibly Common Mergansers. My guess would be that the Merganser mother kept chasing away the Loons, creating a lot of splashing. <br /> <br /> Also, at the beginning and the end of our "hike", we watched a family of Violet-green Swallows that were nesting. Not sure how many young ones there were, but I saw three. They lay 4-6 (rarely, 7) eggs. Though we do get these birds in Calgary, I've never seen one properly - just when a mass of Swallows swarms over the Bow River and someone calls out "Violet-green!" Though the adult in this photo is very blurry, it does at least show the beautiful green colour on the back. The adults flew to feed their babies at top speed and barely stayed a second at the nest hole. I was just thrilled to see one of these birds - thanks, Sandy, for your patience, allowing me to try and get a few photos! Thanks, too, for such a great day, as usual!<br /> <br /> "A beautiful swallow of open woodlands, the Violet-green Swallow is found only in the American West." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id</a></div> Violet-green Swallows <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39078584"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/84/39078584.81ec4608.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 11 July 2015, I had a wonderful day out with friend Sandy, driving westwards from Calgary and eventually reaching the next province, British Columbia (B.C.). Sandy had two destinations in mind - a stop at the Spiral Tunnels and then to explore the forest around Emerald Lake. I had only been to B.C. a handful of times in 37 years, so this was an absolute treat. <br /> <br /> Our trip started just after 7:00 am, to get a good, early start, especially before the temperature soared. The drive from Calgary to Emerald Lake takes about 2 and a half hours and is a 218.5 km drive via Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W. We took a quieter route home at the end of the day. Rain arrived just in time for this drive home and, by the time I got back to my car in Calgary, the rain was really heavy and a few of the roads were beginning to flood very quickly. It was raining again this morning. I was kind of hoping for a few rainy days, as I suddenly have a build-up of quite a few major, very urgent things to deal with and I didn't want to be tempted to go out with my camera. <br /> <br /> Shortly after we began our walk though the forest along the right hand side of the lake, we heard a commotion coming from the water. When we found a place to see through the trees, we could see two beautiful Common Loons and a female duck with several babies, possibly Common Mergansers. My guess would be that the Merganser mother kept chasing away the Loons, creating a lot of splashing. <br /> <br /> Also, at the beginning and the end of our "hike", we watched a family of Violet-green Swallows that were nesting. Not sure how many young ones there were, but I saw three. They lay 4-6 (rarely, 7) eggs. Though we do get these birds in Calgary, I've never seen one properly - just when a mass of Swallows swarms over the Bow River and someone calls out "Violet-green!" Though the adult in this photo is very blurry, it does at least show the beautiful green colour on the back. The adults flew to feed their babies at top speed and barely stayed a second at the nest hole. I was just thrilled to see one of these birds - thanks, Sandy, for your patience, allowing me to try and get a few photos! Thanks, too, for such a great day, as usual!<br /> <br /> "A beautiful swallow of open woodlands, the Violet-green Swallow is found only in the American West." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39078510 tag:ipernity.com,2015-07-09,doc-39078510 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:56:38 +0000 2015-07-08T16:55:37-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39078510"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/10/39078510.9b1162c5.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 8 July 2015, was the first time I had been to visit this family of Osprey this year. This is a fully (48 x) zoomed photo. From that distance, I wasn't quite sure if there were three young ones or just two definite ones. It was SO hot while I stood and waited, hoping that the other adult would appear, but eventually, it did, bringing supper.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Osprey family <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/39078510"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/10/39078510.9b1162c5.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday, 8 July 2015, was the first time I had been to visit this family of Osprey this year. This is a fully (48 x) zoomed photo. From that distance, I wasn't quite sure if there were three young ones or just two definite ones. It was SO hot while I stood and waited, hoping that the other adult would appear, but eventually, it did, bringing supper.<br /> <br /> "Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons." From AllABoutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/38804032 tag:ipernity.com,2015-06-30,doc-38804032 Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:56:49 +0000 2015-06-29T20:23:27-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/38804032"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/40/32/38804032.b19607ee.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday evening, 29 June 2015, a small group of us met at 6:30 pm and went SW of the city with Don Stiles, who has been a dedicated Mountain Bluebird Monitor for something like 38 years! It was around 10:00 pm when I arrived home. I told the group that I would post three of the photos I took, on Flickr today. The light was not good for photos, at least not with my camera, and the later it got and the light faded, the worse they turned out. The last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that many of my photos are not turning out how I would have expected. There seems to be a somewhat green cast on some of them, along with being grainy. I always dread the year and a half mark with any camera I buy – that is when a few things start not working the same.<br /> <br /> This drive is an annual trip along Don’s Bluebird Route. We get the chance to see Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and Wrens nesting in various wooden nesting boxes along the country roads. Some boxes have eggs in the nest, others have tiny babies all packed tightly together. One of the boxes had a female Tree Swallow adult in it, too, and, as it hadn't been banded before, Don demonstrated how he carefully puts a metal band around the tiny leg.<br /> <br /> At the one particular Bluebird box, Mom and Dad were waiting nearby, insects in their beaks ready to feed their babies as soon as we had finished. They are such good parents.<br /> <br /> Along the route, we saw a few other birds and animals, including a pair of beautiful American Goldfinches, various Blackbirds and a few ducks. We were lucky to see several Elk, too, that were wild – not sure if I can rescue one of the photos I took of them, but will try later.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, as always, Don, for letting us come along with you. It is an evening I look forward to every year, and I could tell how much everyone enjoyed themselves yesterday!<br /> <br /> In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&img=dtc.51.tif.gif&uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583&orig=/discover/10.2307/4077277?uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...</a><br /> <br /> For anyone who might wonder if a baby bird is handled, will its parents pick up my scent and abandon it? The answer below is from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:<br /> <br /> A. It's a myth that parent birds will abandon young that have been touched by humans—most birds have a poor sense of smell, and birds in general identify their young using the same cues we humans do—appearance and sound. It's perfectly safe to pick up a fallen nestling and put it back in the nest, or to carry a fledgling out of danger and place it in a tree or shrub." Same would apply to bird banding.<br /> <br /> NO BIRD OR WILD ANIMAL SHOULD EVER BE KEPT AS A PET!</div> Mountain Bluebird nest with eggs <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/38804032"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/40/32/38804032.b19607ee.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday evening, 29 June 2015, a small group of us met at 6:30 pm and went SW of the city with Don Stiles, who has been a dedicated Mountain Bluebird Monitor for something like 38 years! It was around 10:00 pm when I arrived home. I told the group that I would post three of the photos I took, on Flickr today. The light was not good for photos, at least not with my camera, and the later it got and the light faded, the worse they turned out. The last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that many of my photos are not turning out how I would have expected. There seems to be a somewhat green cast on some of them, along with being grainy. I always dread the year and a half mark with any camera I buy – that is when a few things start not working the same.<br /> <br /> This drive is an annual trip along Don’s Bluebird Route. We get the chance to see Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and Wrens nesting in various wooden nesting boxes along the country roads. Some boxes have eggs in the nest, others have tiny babies all packed tightly together. One of the boxes had a female Tree Swallow adult in it, too, and, as it hadn't been banded before, Don demonstrated how he carefully puts a metal band around the tiny leg.<br /> <br /> At the one particular Bluebird box, Mom and Dad were waiting nearby, insects in their beaks ready to feed their babies as soon as we had finished. They are such good parents.<br /> <br /> Along the route, we saw a few other birds and animals, including a pair of beautiful American Goldfinches, various Blackbirds and a few ducks. We were lucky to see several Elk, too, that were wild – not sure if I can rescue one of the photos I took of them, but will try later.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, as always, Don, for letting us come along with you. It is an evening I look forward to every year, and I could tell how much everyone enjoyed themselves yesterday!<br /> <br /> In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&img=dtc.51.tif.gif&uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583&orig=/discover/10.2307/4077277?uid=3739392&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=56109306583" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...</a><br /> <br /> For anyone who might wonder if a baby bird is handled, will its parents pick up my scent and abandon it? The answer below is from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:<br /> <br /> A. It's a myth that parent birds will abandon young that have been touched by humans—most birds have a poor sense of smell, and birds in general identify their young using the same cues we humans do—appearance and sound. It's perfectly safe to pick up a fallen nestling and put it back in the nest, or to carry a fledgling out of danger and place it in a tree or shrub." Same would apply to bird banding.<br /> <br /> NO BIRD OR WILD ANIMAL SHOULD EVER BE KEPT AS A PET!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/37796462 tag:ipernity.com,2015-04-02,doc-37796462 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 17:51:49 +0000 2015-03-31T09:37:55-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/37796462"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/64/62/37796462.25d2d1b1.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I find my eyes go straight to the wide-open eyes of the biggest owlet in this photo. Be careful not to miss a younger one with just part of its little face showing above the nest edge : ) Somewhere, there is a third owlet that could not be seen just then - we only stayed a few minutes. I had only been to see these owls once before and at that time was only able to see one owlet. Maybe if/when I visit them again, all three owlets will be visible. Hopefully, I will see them again at a time when the light is much better, too.<br /> <br /> That day, 31 March 2015, I went on a birding walk with a group of friends, to Fish Creek Park. When owls are seen, they tend to be the highlight of a walk, and on this walk we were able to see six Great Horned Owls, 4 adults and 2 young ones. <br /> <br /> The other day, I posted a photo of Dad, who was sitting in a nearby Spruce tree, looking like he was fast asleep. As males always do, they perch and rest in a tree that has a good view of the nest, keeping watch over the female and the babies. Even though the male looks like he's fast asleep, he will be wide awake in a split second if anything, such as a Canada Goose, threatens the nest.<br /> <br /> "With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics.<br /> <br /> Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl</a></div> "Two (owlets) out of three ain&#039;t bad" <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/37796462"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/64/62/37796462.25d2d1b1.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I find my eyes go straight to the wide-open eyes of the biggest owlet in this photo. Be careful not to miss a younger one with just part of its little face showing above the nest edge : ) Somewhere, there is a third owlet that could not be seen just then - we only stayed a few minutes. I had only been to see these owls once before and at that time was only able to see one owlet. Maybe if/when I visit them again, all three owlets will be visible. Hopefully, I will see them again at a time when the light is much better, too.<br /> <br /> That day, 31 March 2015, I went on a birding walk with a group of friends, to Fish Creek Park. When owls are seen, they tend to be the highlight of a walk, and on this walk we were able to see six Great Horned Owls, 4 adults and 2 young ones. <br /> <br /> The other day, I posted a photo of Dad, who was sitting in a nearby Spruce tree, looking like he was fast asleep. As males always do, they perch and rest in a tree that has a good view of the nest, keeping watch over the female and the babies. Even though the male looks like he's fast asleep, he will be wide awake in a split second if anything, such as a Canada Goose, threatens the nest.<br /> <br /> "With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics.<br /> <br /> Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/35819355 tag:ipernity.com,2014-11-05,doc-35819355 Wed, 05 Nov 2014 16:57:00 +0000 2014-11-03T16:04:56-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/35819355"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/146/93/55/35819355.63bab357.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken a couple of days ago, on 3 November 2014, when my daughter and I spent a few hours at The Calgary Zoo. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, the males constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. Will add a previously posted photo of a male in a comment box below.<br /> <br /> "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests.<br /> <br /> The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow.<br /> <br /> These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> The link below is for a short video (1:58 mins in length) from the Brookfield Zoo, showing a Taveta Golden Weaver building its nest.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://youtu.be/bUd3sfXpz7s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/bUd3sfXpz7s</a></div> Taveta Golden Weaver&#039;s nest <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/35819355"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/146/93/55/35819355.63bab357.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This photo was taken a couple of days ago, on 3 November 2014, when my daughter and I spent a few hours at The Calgary Zoo. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, the males constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. Will add a previously posted photo of a male in a comment box below.<br /> <br /> "The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests.<br /> <br /> The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow.<br /> <br /> These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> The link below is for a short video (1:58 mins in length) from the Brookfield Zoo, showing a Taveta Golden Weaver building its nest.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://youtu.be/bUd3sfXpz7s" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/bUd3sfXpz7s</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32299953 tag:ipernity.com,2014-04-26,doc-32299953 Sat, 26 Apr 2014 13:20:50 +0000 2014-04-23T16:17:52-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32299953"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/99/53/32299953.49ebac82.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As you can tell by the sky, the weather was not good when I took this photo on 23 April 2014. In fact, it started to rain soon after it was taken. I was still lucky that this adult female Great Horned Owl (i.e. "Mom") was perched on the edge of the nest cavity, rather than sitting inside. I didn't stay long, and there was no activity from the two owlets behind and below her.<br /> <br /> Talking of weather, I've just glanced through my window - and it's snowing! Very unfortunately, the weather forecast was right this time. Later: it has been snowing lightly a good part of the day.</div> Mom at the nest <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32299953"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/99/53/32299953.49ebac82.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As you can tell by the sky, the weather was not good when I took this photo on 23 April 2014. In fact, it started to rain soon after it was taken. I was still lucky that this adult female Great Horned Owl (i.e. "Mom") was perched on the edge of the nest cavity, rather than sitting inside. I didn't stay long, and there was no activity from the two owlets behind and below her.<br /> <br /> Talking of weather, I've just glanced through my window - and it's snowing! Very unfortunately, the weather forecast was right this time. Later: it has been snowing lightly a good part of the day.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32049039 tag:ipernity.com,2014-04-16,doc-32049039 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:23:58 +0000 2014-04-14T10:30:26-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32049039"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/90/39/32049039.ed944b13.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not the best quality image, due to the sun being in the "wrong" place,, but it's the best of the ones I took. Couldn't resist posting it - the owlets were so cute! When we first pulled over, both owlets were higher but my photos, taken through the windshield, didn't come out. Then one dropped down (you can just see one of its eyes). It was so cute, because the left hand one would gradually sink down till its eyes were just visible over the nest. Curiosity made it lift its head and then again, the tiny, fluffy head would slowly sink. Didn't stay more than a matter of minutes, wanting to let the owlets get their afternoon nap.<br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 14 April 2014, I spent this wonderful, fun day with my youngest daughter, driving the backroads SE of Calgary. Some of the roads were familiar to me, but others were new territory, which gave us a chance to discover some different abandoned barns. We knew where our destination was going to be, more or less, though it was disappointing that the "heat wave" distortion was just too great to get distant, zoomed photos. Unfortunately, it was quite a hazy day, which really didn't help. Once we got really close, the problem thankfully went away.<br /> <br /> Our drive was not to see one kind of thing only. Both of us love to photograph anything beautiful or interesting. Naturally, birds were on our wish list, too, and we were lucky to come across several different species. The very first place I drove to, was to see a particular Great Horned Owl nest. Those who know me won't be at all surprised to hear that I couldn't find the nest that I had intended going to, lol! I was so confident driving to where I "knew" it would be, yet there was no sign of it. Next time I go back to that area, I will have to have a longer look. Other birds seen included a beautiful Meadowlark (photo posted today) that I was so thrilled to see, a Red-tailed Hawk, Pintails, Northern Shovelers, and lots of elegant Swans which looked so beautiful in the sunshine with the distant Rocky Mountains in the background.</div> Snuggling up to Mom <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/32049039"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/142/90/39/32049039.ed944b13.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Not the best quality image, due to the sun being in the "wrong" place,, but it's the best of the ones I took. Couldn't resist posting it - the owlets were so cute! When we first pulled over, both owlets were higher but my photos, taken through the windshield, didn't come out. Then one dropped down (you can just see one of its eyes). It was so cute, because the left hand one would gradually sink down till its eyes were just visible over the nest. Curiosity made it lift its head and then again, the tiny, fluffy head would slowly sink. Didn't stay more than a matter of minutes, wanting to let the owlets get their afternoon nap.<br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 14 April 2014, I spent this wonderful, fun day with my youngest daughter, driving the backroads SE of Calgary. Some of the roads were familiar to me, but others were new territory, which gave us a chance to discover some different abandoned barns. We knew where our destination was going to be, more or less, though it was disappointing that the "heat wave" distortion was just too great to get distant, zoomed photos. Unfortunately, it was quite a hazy day, which really didn't help. Once we got really close, the problem thankfully went away.<br /> <br /> Our drive was not to see one kind of thing only. Both of us love to photograph anything beautiful or interesting. Naturally, birds were on our wish list, too, and we were lucky to come across several different species. The very first place I drove to, was to see a particular Great Horned Owl nest. Those who know me won't be at all surprised to hear that I couldn't find the nest that I had intended going to, lol! I was so confident driving to where I "knew" it would be, yet there was no sign of it. Next time I go back to that area, I will have to have a longer look. Other birds seen included a beautiful Meadowlark (photo posted today) that I was so thrilled to see, a Red-tailed Hawk, Pintails, Northern Shovelers, and lots of elegant Swans which looked so beautiful in the sunshine with the distant Rocky Mountains in the background.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/31689557 tag:ipernity.com,2014-04-06,doc-31689557 Sun, 06 Apr 2014 13:10:34 +0000 2014-04-05T10:20:30-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/31689557"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/141/95/57/31689557.ab61227c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday morning, 5 April 2014, I was out for a few hours with several friends, checking for birds along the Bow River at the east end of Fish Creek Park. One of the places we called in at was the area where the pair of Great Horned Owls was nesting. Young ones have hatched, apparently, but they were tucked under Mom in the nesting cavity. Thanks so much, Terry, for organizing this outing for us! Sorry to hear about your "fall in the mud"! The rest of us were thankful we hadn't followed you : )<br /> <br /> My alarm clock was set for 6:30 this morning, but I fell back asleep for another 45 minutes. This meant that I was in a rush to get ready to go out for the day with friends, S of the city to the Frank Lake area. Consequently, I ran out of time to type full descriptions under my posts for today, add tags, put in groups, and so on. When I got back home, I discovered 17 people had commented on this image, praising my ability to spot such a well-camouflaged owl. Well, that sure made me feel guilty, as I hadn't had time to add that everyone knows about this wonderful little owl family, so we already knew exactly where to look. I believe the owlets (two?) are roughly a week old, so we still have a while to wait before they are old enough to climb up on to the rim of the nesting tree, struggling to keep their balance. This owl pair has given so many people a great deal of pleasure for quite a few years now. <br /> <br /> Will add Tony Timmons' report for today's Frank Lake trip - thanks, Tony, both for writing up the list and for taking us down to one of my favourite areas outside the city:<br /> <br /> "Eleven people were on the trip today, birding Frank Lake and area. We tallied 35 species. Most of the lake is still covered in ice.<br /> <br /> As many as 10,000 Northern Pintails were seen in the fields,sloughs and flying overhead. Two hundred swans were feeding in the fields.<br /> <br /> Of note were two Eurasian Wigeons spotted in the shallow sloughs.<br /> <br /> Canada Goose<br /> Tundra Swan<br /> Trumpeter Swan<br /> Gadwall<br /> American Wigeon<br /> Eurasian Wigeon<br /> Mallard<br /> Cinnamon Teal<br /> Northern Shoveler<br /> Northern Pintail<br /> Green-winged Teal<br /> Canvasback<br /> Redhead<br /> Ring-necked Duck<br /> Lesser Scaup<br /> Bufflehead<br /> Common Goldeneye<br /> Common Merganser<br /> Ruddy Duck<br /> Bald Eagle<br /> Northern Harrier<br /> Rough-legged Hawk<br /> Coot<br /> Killdeer<br /> Ring-billed Gull<br /> California Gull<br /> Great Horned Owl<br /> Horned Lark<br /> Robin<br /> Rock Pigeon,Magpie,Crow,Raven,Starling,House Sparrow"<br /> <br /> As you can see, birds are returning after being elsewhere all winter. Only very distant views of them all, except for one Great Horned Owl on her nest - impossible to get a proper shot because she is hidden by a tangle of branches.</div> Keeping her young ones warm <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/31689557"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/141/95/57/31689557.ab61227c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday morning, 5 April 2014, I was out for a few hours with several friends, checking for birds along the Bow River at the east end of Fish Creek Park. One of the places we called in at was the area where the pair of Great Horned Owls was nesting. Young ones have hatched, apparently, but they were tucked under Mom in the nesting cavity. Thanks so much, Terry, for organizing this outing for us! Sorry to hear about your "fall in the mud"! The rest of us were thankful we hadn't followed you : )<br /> <br /> My alarm clock was set for 6:30 this morning, but I fell back asleep for another 45 minutes. This meant that I was in a rush to get ready to go out for the day with friends, S of the city to the Frank Lake area. Consequently, I ran out of time to type full descriptions under my posts for today, add tags, put in groups, and so on. When I got back home, I discovered 17 people had commented on this image, praising my ability to spot such a well-camouflaged owl. Well, that sure made me feel guilty, as I hadn't had time to add that everyone knows about this wonderful little owl family, so we already knew exactly where to look. I believe the owlets (two?) are roughly a week old, so we still have a while to wait before they are old enough to climb up on to the rim of the nesting tree, struggling to keep their balance. This owl pair has given so many people a great deal of pleasure for quite a few years now. <br /> <br /> Will add Tony Timmons' report for today's Frank Lake trip - thanks, Tony, both for writing up the list and for taking us down to one of my favourite areas outside the city:<br /> <br /> "Eleven people were on the trip today, birding Frank Lake and area. We tallied 35 species. Most of the lake is still covered in ice.<br /> <br /> As many as 10,000 Northern Pintails were seen in the fields,sloughs and flying overhead. Two hundred swans were feeding in the fields.<br /> <br /> Of note were two Eurasian Wigeons spotted in the shallow sloughs.<br /> <br /> Canada Goose<br /> Tundra Swan<br /> Trumpeter Swan<br /> Gadwall<br /> American Wigeon<br /> Eurasian Wigeon<br /> Mallard<br /> Cinnamon Teal<br /> Northern Shoveler<br /> Northern Pintail<br /> Green-winged Teal<br /> Canvasback<br /> Redhead<br /> Ring-necked Duck<br /> Lesser Scaup<br /> Bufflehead<br /> Common Goldeneye<br /> Common Merganser<br /> Ruddy Duck<br /> Bald Eagle<br /> Northern Harrier<br /> Rough-legged Hawk<br /> Coot<br /> Killdeer<br /> Ring-billed Gull<br /> California Gull<br /> Great Horned Owl<br /> Horned Lark<br /> Robin<br /> Rock Pigeon,Magpie,Crow,Raven,Starling,House Sparrow"<br /> <br /> As you can see, birds are returning after being elsewhere all winter. Only very distant views of them all, except for one Great Horned Owl on her nest - impossible to get a proper shot because she is hidden by a tangle of branches.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22629813 tag:ipernity.com,2008-08-12,doc-22629813 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:31:09 +0000 2008-07-26T11:21:06-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22629813"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/98/13/22629813.3530f461.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These young Barn Swallows had just noticed that Mom was on her way back to fill their open mouths. They are nesting under the eaves at the University of Calgary Field Station out in Kananaskis, by Barrier Lake.</div> We&#039;re hungry, Mom! <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22629813"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/98/13/22629813.3530f461.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These young Barn Swallows had just noticed that Mom was on her way back to fill their open mouths. They are nesting under the eaves at the University of Calgary Field Station out in Kananaskis, by Barrier Lake.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22613973 tag:ipernity.com,2012-08-20,doc-22613973 Mon, 20 Aug 2012 16:33:16 +0000 2012-06-15T14:37:34-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22613973"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/39/73/22613973.1735fa81.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="181" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Took this photo fully zoomed and then heavily cropped - would love to get a closer view of Grebe babies, but this will have to do for now : ) I smile every time I see this image, seeing Mom fast asleep with a baby on her back, another one swimming close by, and Dad taking over feeding duties. It was just such a cute moment of family togetherness. Taken on 15 June 2012 in SW Calgary.</div> Mom has a nap, Dad takes over <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/22613973"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/132/39/73/22613973.1735fa81.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="181" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Took this photo fully zoomed and then heavily cropped - would love to get a closer view of Grebe babies, but this will have to do for now : ) I smile every time I see this image, seeing Mom fast asleep with a baby on her back, another one swimming close by, and Dad taking over feeding duties. It was just such a cute moment of family togetherness. Taken on 15 June 2012 in SW Calgary.</div> Anne Elliott